MLS vs PRS, BBL 2018-19: Where to watch/Live streaming

Bat Flip Prediction

Melbourne Stars have won their last three matches chasing, so they will be keen to win the toss and field first at the MCG.

Melbourne Stars Team News & Playing 11

MLS Team News

With Sandeep Lamichhane departing for a stint in the Bangladesh Premier League, the Nepalese spinner’s absence forced a slight reshuffle for Melbourne Stars last time out. There will be further changes this time too due to international call-ups. Peter Handscomb missed the last game due to his test recall already, and he is joined in the Australian ODI squad by Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa.Liam Plunkett made his first appearance as Lamichhane’s replacement last time out, while Michael Beer was called up to bolster the spin-bowling options. Jackson Coleman has missed the last two games for personal reasons but could return, with Jackson Bird an alternative if not, while Liam Bowe is likely to replace Zampa. That leaves one batting spot and Jonathan Merlo could fill it after neither batting nor bowling on his debut in the win against Melbourne Renegades.

MLS Key Players

The majority of Melbourne Stars’ key players are now unavailable, with four in the Australian ODI squad and the first part of Sandeep Lamichhane’s Big Bash League stint after he headed to the Bangladesh Premier League.

It is an opportunity for others to step up, though the experience of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will be key – he has taken six wickets in the last three matches and remains a lower-order danger with the bat too.

He is joined by incoming overseas player Liam Plunkett, and the England all-rounder made a wicket-taking start in his first game. He picked up T20 wickets for Yorkshire and England in 2018 and is looking to impress national selectors in this World Cup year.

Of the Australian players, Nick Larkin scored a patient 41 not out in the win against Sydney Thunder – his second 40-plus score of the tournament so far – and now has 137 runs from five innings.

Scott Boland has taken four wickets in the last two games, meanwhile, and Jackson Coleman – before his absence – claimed 3-18 against Sydney Sixers in his most recent outing.

MLS Team Form

Melbourne Stars won just two of their ten matches in 2017/18 and started the current campaign with back-to-back defeats too – losing by 15 runs via the D/L method in a rain-hit first game against Sydney Thunder, having reached 74/6 from eight overs in reply to Sydney’s 181/5 from the full complement of overs.

That was followed by a six-wicket defeat to Hobart Hurricanes, despite Glenn Maxwell scoring 47 in a total of 155/5 and Sandeep Lamichhane taking 3-24 from four overs in the reply.Jackson Coleman’s 3-18 restricted Sydney Sixers to 130/9 in their next match, however, and Peter Handscomb smashed 70 from 35 balls as the Stars won by five wickets with 5.1 overs remaining.

That thrashing reinvigorated the Stars, and they backed it up with victory in the Melbourne Derby on New Year’s Day. Dwayne Bravo took 3-27 as the Renegades posted 148/9, and Marcus Stoinis’ unbeaten 78 from 49 balls ensured the chase was always under control – storming to a seven-wicket win with 2.1 overs remaining.

Melbourne Stars Predicted Playing 11

Perth Scorchers Team News & Playing 11

PRS Team News

International call-ups mean Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson will drop out due to their inclusion in the Australian ODI squad. Shaun Marsh was already unavailable, having been with the test team. Mitchell returned for a single appearance against Brisbane Heat, but England all-rounder David Willey is likely to slot back in to reverse that change. Cameron Green, Matthew Kelly and Joel Paris are the options for the Scorchers in place of Richardson. Kelly seems the most likely to feature, having been an unused player in the match-day squad for the most recent game.

PRS Key Players

, hitting 47 from 30 balls against Brisbane Heat to move to 197 from six appearances so far. He has not been backed up, however, with Hilton Cartwright the only other batsman to score a half-century.

Cameron Bancroft has hit three sixes since his return from his ball-tampering ban, but is yet to deliver a big score and has scored slowly in general.Jason Behrendorff and Nathan Coulter-Nile have delivered better success with the ball, however, taking eight wickets apiece. Behrendorff has an impressive economy rate of 5.85 too.

The Stars now need the likes of England all-rounder David Willey to recapture his best form – he has one wicket so far, but will need to step up now Jhye Richardson has linked up with the Australian squad.

PRS Team Form

Perth Scorchers have played six games and won just one of them – against Adelaide Strikers. Since bowling the Strikers out for 88, with Jhye Richardson claiming 3-7, on their way to a seven-wicket win, they have lost three from three.Slow scoring has been their biggest issue, including 107/8 against Hobart Hurricanes in a six-wicket defeat. They were 54/5 from 11.1 overs against Sydney Thunder too, though some late hitting from Ashton Tuner (60 from 36 balls) almost completed a stunning comeback – the Scorchers losing by one run.

They failed to build on that narrow defeat, however – despite 47 from 30 balls from Turner against Brisbane Heat. They only posted 135/6 and, despite Nathan Coulter-Nile taking 3-25, they lost by five wickets with ten balls to spare.

Team Form in Last Five Matches (most recent first)

MLS : W W W L L

PRS : L L L W L

MLS vs PRS Head to Head

Melbourne Stars and Perth Scorchers have each won six matches apiece in 12 previous meetings, though the last two have both gone Perth’s way. That includes the 2016/17 semi-final, when Mitchell Johnson’s stunning 3-3 from four overs and Shaun Marsh’s unbeaten half-century sent the Scorchers through to the final.

Last year, Hilton Cartwright scored 58 in a total of 142/6 and, despite James Faulkner’s 2-19 with the ball and unbeaten 35 with the bat, Melbourne Stars finished 13 runs short; Andrew Tye taking 5-23 for the Scorchers.

Melbourne Stars vs Perth Scorchers Betting Odds

Despite their contrasting form, the bookmakers are split equally on this one – both Bet365 and Betfair are offering 1.90 on each team to win. Melbourne Stars are comfortably the team in better form, however.

The odds can be explained by how depleted Melbourne Stars have been by international call-ups, but Nick Larkin has been quietly ticking along so far and is 4.00 to top score for the Stars with Betfair.

On the bowling side, Dwayne Bravo has hit good form and is 3.75 with Bet365 to be their best bowler, while new arrival Liam Plunkett is 5.00.

Ashton Turner has hit good batting form for the Scorchers, meanwhile – a rare batting highlight for them so far – and he is a best price of 9.50 with Betfair to top score in this match.

Melbourne Stars vs Perth Scorchers Prediction

Despite being hit hard by international call-ups, Melbourne Stars are still the in-form team going into this one, while Perth Scorchers are struggling. It is hard to see who their match-winner will be, so the Stars – at the MCG – can claim victory.